The invention relates to bar code scanners and retail point of sale networks, and in particular the invention is concerned with integrating and interfacing a lottery ticket issuing and redemption system with bar code readers used for scanning products in a point of sale (POS) network. The invention permits lottery tickets to be issued and redeemed from any of a number of different check stands in a store, using only one telephone line link to a remote central lottery processor.
A large number of states in the United States, as well as several foreign countries, have government-run state lotteries. A form of legalized gambling, these lotteries are almost all very similar in the format of a main lottery game often known as "lotto". This game is based on a combination of six numbers picked by the player/customer or randomly (a "quick pick"), and a subsequent state lottery drawing of six different numbers as the winning numbers for the game period. Games may occur weekly or more frequently. The invention is concerned with these and other similar games involving selected numbers, whether the games are run by government agencies or other entities.
The numbers which may be selected for play, and which may be drawn as winning numbers, are from a range the width of which is selected by the state to give the desired odds for the game. For example, the State of California, which originally had a range of numbers 1 through 49, extended its lottery number range to 1 through 53.
In the typical state lottery system, a large central lottery computer is linked by telephone line and modem with all retail lottery ticket-issuing terminals in the system. The state lottery system usually purchases the terminals and other hardware and places a telephone line into each participating store. The retailer is usually charged a fee for installation and a periodic service charge. Serialized printing paper stock is typically provided by the state lottery system to each participating store.
In the typical system all lottery numbers, whether customer-selected or quick picks, go "on-line" to the central lottery computer at the time of purchase. A serial number is assigned and printed on each lottery ticket, which is used to uniquely identify all plays on the particular lottery ticket,. One method is to use the serial number as a pointer to an electronic record of each transaction kept on the central lottery computer, each record including the serial number, picked numbers, retailer, etc. This record is maintained for the duration of the game being played, with all "winners" maintained in the central computer for redemption at a later date. In California, for example, the "active" database for the state lottery can contain 28 million records on a given day.
In current lottery systems, a ticket printer forms a part of a self-standing lottery terminal which also includes a keyboard, a display, an optical reader and modem. The terminal's ticket printer typically prints a type of crude bar code that is used by the optical reader of the dedicated lottery terminal, to represent a serial number or look-up number as discussed above, for the numbers selected for a play. These codes are not readable in a UPC type bar code scanner system, of the kind widely used in supermarkets.
The great bulk of lottery ticket sales (particularly for the six-number "lotto" game) have in the past been generated by convenience stores, carry-outs and liquor stores. Often small grocery stores having only a sinqle checkout counter will have a lottery terminal; however, few supermarkets have these number game terminals, because of the problem of outfitting every check stand with a separate terminal. The supermarkets may sell "instant game" type lottery game pieces or "scratch-off" lottery tickets, sold by the roll to each retailer, since these can easily be stored for sale at each of a number of check stands and do not require any special terminal equipment for sales or redemption.
In general, there are several reasons why supermarkets have not widely participated in state lotteries of the type described. Even though the state lottery system generally pays for the hardware, the multiple-check stand stores would be required to have a relatively large terminal machine at each check stand. The checkout personnel would be required to be trained in and perform an additional function separate from the normal sale of store inventory items--there has been available no integration of the two types of transactions. The non-integrated nature of this situation tends to slow the checkout procedure, potentially annoying other customers. Also, a checkout person has the responsibility of being a game validator.
It is a principal purpose of the present invention to establish a lottery ticket issuing and redemption system which can easily be integrated into and/or interfaced with a POS bar code scanner system of the type widely used in supermarkets. Thus, a goal of the invention is to provide a system which is attractive to supermarkets as to convenience, efficiency of issuance and redemption of tickets, cost, and minimal modification of existing POS scanner equipment. A companion purpose is to provide a system which is superior from the point of view of the state lottery system, particularly in reducing the expense of installing terminals in a supermarket which may have six to ten or more individual check stands. A related purpose is to integrate a lottery ticket issuing and redemption system with a conventional supermarket bar code scanner system in a way which will enable the same store scanner to be used for lottery tickets, integrated with existing POS in a transparent method such that minimal or no modification is required to existing equipment.
A primary purpose in particular embodiments of the invention is to provide a bar code lottery ticket handling system which is compatible with supermarket bar code scanning as currently defined by the Uniform Code Council (UPC) and by the European Article Numbering Association (EAN).
U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,832,341 and 4,937,853 have some pertinence to this invention in that they relate to lottery systems. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,832,341 there is disclosed a high security instant lottery game using bar codes. However, this patent does not relate to "lotto" type games wherein a customer selects numbers (or quick picks) for matching to a future lottery drawing. Also, the patent does not address the interfacing problems addressed by the present invention, particularly for a supermarket having multiple check stands.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,937,853 relates to lottery games and telephone line interfacing with a central lottery computer or "lottery host computer", but the patent does not address the problem of interfacing with a supermarket POS network or integrating the duties of a check stand person in regard to store inventory purchases (goods normally sold by the store) and lottery ticket purchases or redemptions. The patent is concerned with eliminating the need for manual dialing when a participating store deals with the central lottery computer, and this is achieved using a hand-held scanner which reads a bar code on a type of lottery ticket.